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John Howard Payne:
Friend of the Cherokees

THURMAN WILKINS
 

In the collection of the papers of Johii Howard Payne, now
being presented to Columbia by the heirs of the late Thatcher T.
P. Luquer (C. E. iSSp; E. E. 18^2), is a packet of about a score
of letters and documents labeled "Cherokee Incident." We asked
Professor Thurman Wilki?is of the English Department, who is
making a definitive study of the Cherokee Indians, how Payne
came to be concerned in the troubled affairs of that tribe. Here is
his answer.                                                             Editor's Note
 

A FTER twenty checkered years in Europe, where "Home,
/-a\ Sweet Home" had made him famous, John Howard
A. )\ Payne, actor, playwright, adventurer, returned to
America in 1832, poor in everything but reputation, plans and
energy. His supply of these seemed inexhaustible. Before long
he had devised a scheme to change his fortunes—a weekly
magazine, whose prospectus he mailed to newspaper editors
sometime in August,   1833.  The  new publication,  he  wrote.